The Rundown – 9.10.17

Oct 10 2017
BY
Rachel Ayeh-Datey

It’s been a busy week. So much so that you probably haven’t had the time to catch up with everything going on in the world. Fortunately, (for you), we’ve got your back. Here’s what happened this week in the worlds of Politics, Technology, Sports, Music and World alongside a few other miscellaneous bits that caught our eye.

Politics

During her speech at the Conservative Party Conference, the PM battled coughing fits and was interrupted by a comedian, who handed her a P45, saying “Boris asked me to give you this” before being ejected from the hall.

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds has said his party’s confidence and supply arrangement with the Conservative Party is not a temporary two-year deal. He made the comments during a reception at the Conservative conference in Manchester on Tuesday.

Councils and housing associations have welcomed government plans to spend £2bn on a “new generation” of council houses and affordable homes for rent. In her conference speech, Theresa May pledged to dedicate her premiership to fixing the “broken” housing market.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said Libyan city Sirte could be the new Dubai, adding, “all they have to do is clear the dead bodies away”. His comments at a Conservative fringe meeting sparked anger, with a number of Tory MPs calling for his sacking and Labour labelling him “crass and cruel”. Mr Johnson claimed his critics had “no knowledge nor understanding of Libya”.

Tory MPs have rallied round Theresa May after her conference speech on Wednesday was marred by mishaps. James Cleverly said he was “proud” of the PM for contending with a persistent cough and a prankster and John Redwood said MPs backed her “strong message”. However, it is thought dozens of MPs are discussing the possibility of trying to persuade Mrs May to stand aside. But it is not clear whether they will have enough support to move.

World

The girlfriend of the Las Vegas gunman who shot dead 58 people on Sunday has said she had no idea what her “kind, caring, quiet” partner was planning. Marilou Danley’s comments came hours before police suggested Stephen Paddock had been living “a secret life”.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has attacked Spain’s King Felipe VI for “deliberately ignoring millions of Catalans”. In a TV address, Mr Puigdemont accused the king of adopting the Spanish government’s position. “This moment calls for mediation,” he said. He has indicated that Catalonia could declare independence next week.

The mayor of Puerto Rico’s capital, San Juan, has described Donald Trump’s visit to the hurricane-hit island as “insulting” and called him a “miscommunicator-in-chief”. Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz described his televised meeting with officials as a “PR, 17-minute meeting”. The sight of him throwing paper towels to people in the crowd was “terrible and abominable”, she added. Mr Trump tweeted it had been a “great day” in Puerto Rico.

A joint US-Niger patrol has come under attack near the border with Mali, the military says. Media reports say three US soldiers and five Nigerien soldiers were killed in the ambush in south-western Niger.

Technology

A couple in the US have admitted stealing goods from Amazon valued at more than $1.2m (£910,000) by repeatedly pretending that items they ordered were damaged in the post. Erin Joseph Finan, 38, and Leah Jeanette Finan, 37, from Indiana, have pleaded guilty to postal fraud and money laundering.

Google’s second-generation Pixel mobile phones are able to take “portrait mode” photos via both their front and rear single-lens cameras. Other handsets have been able to auto-blur image backgrounds for some time, but they typically rely on using two-lens cameras on the phones’ backs to create realistic effects. Google said its innovation meant it could make more space for the battery and introduce front-facing speakers.

The trend for tourists taking selfies with local creatures is fuelling a rise in animals being snatched from the wild by irresponsible tour operators, according to animal charity World Animal Protection. The charity found a 292% increase in the number of wildlife selfies posted on Instagram since 2014. It is asking the site to take action to “protect animals on their platform”. Instagram said it was working with experts to address the issue.

The European Union has launched a fresh crackdown over taxes paid by tech giants Amazon and Apple. Amazon has been ordered to repay €250m (£221m; $293m) in back taxes after the European Commission said it had been given an unfair tax deal in Luxembourg. The Commission also plans to take Ireland to court over its failure to collect €13bn of back taxes from Apple.

Amazon has been described as “irresponsible” for selling a hoodie that describes anorexia as “like bulimia, except with self control”. One woman living with anorexia said it could “damage” the mental health of those with the conditions. Anorexia expert Dr Susie Orbach told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme the online retailer should “remove it immediately”.

Music

Pop star Florence Welch has told the Conservatives to stop using her music after her version of You Got The Love was played at the party’s conference in Manchester. The lead singer of Florence And The Machine tweeted that she did not approve the use of the song and would not have permitted it if asked. DJ, Calvin Harris also voiced similar sentiments.

Country music star Jason Aldean has cancelled a string of concerts after 58 people were shot dead while watching him perform in Las Vegas on Sunday. The singer has called off three shows that were due to happen this week in Los Angeles, San Diego and Anaheim.

Stormzy released ‘4PM In London’, a new freestyle which teases the release of his second album. The track uses the same beat as Drake’s ‘4PM In Calabasas’

Sports

Premier League clubs have rejected an initial proposal to end the equal distribution of overseas TV money. The six richest clubs – Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea – want their appeal reflected in their income. And a plan – presented by the league’s executive chairman Richard Scudamore – suggested 35% of global revenue should be divided based on league position.

England coach Gareth Southgate is yet to decide who will captain the team at the 2018 World Cup as they close in on qualification. Tottenham striker Harry Kane will lead England against Slovenia on Thursday, where victory will ensure them a place at next summer’s finals in Russia.

Leicester City have not ruled out appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against Fifa’s decision to reject Adrien Silva’s registration. Paperwork on Silva’s £22m move from Sporting Lisbon arrived 14 seconds too late on the 31 August deadline day. On Wednesday, Fifa rejected a Football Association appeal, so the Foxes can still not register him to play.

Miscellaneous

Rail strikes across England are under way for the second time this week. RMT union members at Southern, Merseyrail, Arriva Rail North and Greater Anglia have begun a 24-hour walkout. The industrial action is over plans to make train doors driver-only operated. Rail companies have said this means a guard is no longer needed but some workers believe safety procedures would be compromised.

Former Glee actor Mark Salling has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. Salling, 35, now faces between four and seven years in prison and has been ordered to pay about $50,000 (£38,000) to each victim. The actor was arrested in 2015 after a tip off he was in possession of images of children being sexually abused.

A female-only Cambridge University college will now accept applications from transgender students. Murray Edwards, whose alumni include broadcasters Claudia Winkleman and Sue Perkins, had only admitted women since its creation in 1954. It will now consider those who identify as female and, where identified as male at birth, have “taken steps to live in the female gender”.

A consultation on introducing an optout system for organ donation is to be held in England, ministers say. Currently anyone who wants to donate their organs after death has to “opt in” through the donor card scheme. But a new system, whereby it will be presumed an adult’s body can be used in transplants in the absence of express permission, will now be considered.